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Halloween, Part 4

I kept my cool when I made it to Our Lady of Hope. I kept it still when I got to the desk. I lost it when they told me I wasn’t allowed to go back to see him. I lost it to the point where I unintentionally bent the metal laundry cart from my anger. When his doctor came out to see if there was any family and found me, I unloaded on him. I feel bad about it now, but I was desperate to see if he was okay. The Deputy I was with finally came in and ushered me back to see Ben after speaking with the administration staff.

As furious as I was, I was grateful I’d only mangled a laundry cart. My anger can make my talent go nuts sometimes. I once completely rearranged a car to look like an elephant because I was not in control. The Deputy, I still haven’t learned his name, led me to the little room where Ben was placed. I rushed in to the room and checked him over myself. I couldn’t see anything wrong with him, but he was still unconscious. I pressed a kiss for his forehead and his smell of brimstone and leather drifted into my nose. It almost caused me to start sniffling.

His doctor came in then and shuffled his feet a bit, before saying hello. I had a feeling I’d scared him and most of the hospital staff with my little trick and all the yelling. I wasn’t sorry. I’m still not sorry. I was scared.

As I look at him now in our bed, I’m still scared.

He could have been taken away from me because of whomever left that nasty hex bag. I clinched my fists and looked down at him, listening to what the doctor had to say.

“So we’re just waiting for him to wake up.” The Doctor finished.

“I’m staying. I’m his and he’s mine. I’m staying. He’ll ask for me when he wakes.”

The Doctor didn’t bother trying to get me out of the room. He just nodded and left. It was nearly three hours before he woke up. I was curled in to a chair the nurses had brought for me. My hand was on his so that if he moved, I’d feel it. I didn’t feel a thing though, he was talking with the nurse when I finally came back to consciousness. They broke off when I murmured his name sleepily and looked up at him.

“Hey, Lowe.”

I didn’t say anything, I was just so happy he was awake I crawled in to the bed and hugged him tight. Then I burst in to tears. He was cuddling me when the Doctor came back. He took one look at me and shoved a box of tissues at Ben, then slowly backed out of the room. After everything I’d been through that day, it was funny to me to see a fully grown man that afraid of my emotions.

So I started giggling. They were watery giggles, but Ben realized why I was laughing and snickered.

“He’s afraid of you.”

“He should be, I trashed a metal laundry cart because they wouldn’t let me come back and see you. I was terrified of losing you and angry they were in my way.” I said looking up at him.

Ben blinked and said slowly, “you trashed a laundry cart?”

He stared at me when I nodded. He was still absorbing that information when the Doctor came back in. I slid off the bed so that he could look at Ben and stood off to the side, where I could see him. I wasn’t letting him out of my sight and Ben must have felt the same way, because He kept his eyes on mine. He nodded at the Doctor when he gave him instructions on not getting out of bed for the next couple of days. The Doctor noticed that Ben hadn’t looked at him through out the conversation and sighed.

“You two will be the death of me, I can tell. I’ll get you the instructions I have for you, but I mean it when I say no heavy exertions over the next few days.”

We both said “Yes, Doctor.” at the same time and missed when he rolled his eyes. He walked out of the room and I passed Ben the bag of clothing that Miles had put together while I was showering. I watched over him as he got dressed, made sure he didn’t fall over. When the Doctor came back in, he was surprised that Ben was dressed.

“I hope you got dressed by yourself.” He said as he eyed Ben.

“He did; I just watched.” I said and winked at Ben, which made him laugh.

“She didn’t help, Doc. If she had, I’m pretty sure she would have insisted I say over night.”

“Damn right I would have.”

The Doctor nodded at me and then went over all the instructions that he had for Ben over the next few days. Someone must have tipped him off as to what happened because he also left instructions on a good herbal tea that could be made in gallons, as well as cups.

“That’s everything. The Nurse will see you outside to your car.”

“We didn’t arrive in one. I arrived with the Deputy, but I’ll call Miles. He’ll come get us.” I said as I pulled out my cell phone and hit number two on my speed dial.

Twenty minutes later, Miles showed in the Thunderbird and helped me get Ben in to the back seat. He didn’t say a word until we’d gotten on the highway leading to our subdivision.

“So? What’s the word, little bird?”

“No heavy work for the next few days, he’s to rest as much as possible.”

“I assume you’ll put off opening the shop back up then.”

“Nope. If I’m at home I’ll fret and worry and we’ll just make each other mad because I’ll fuss. So I’ll open the shop back up and go to work. There’s more than enough business I haven’t gotten to in the last few weeks to keep me busy.”

“I approve of this plan.” Ben said from the back seat.

I looked back at him in the back seat and smiled. “Mark is still on bereavement. He’ll watch you and make sure you don’t sneak out of the house. I’ll give orders to the house not to let you out too. You’re stuck”

“I take it back. I do not like this plan. At all.”

“Too bad. You’re going to follow the doctors instructions.”

Ben sighed.

“Face it, Ben. She’s right. No one knows how tired you’re going to be because you changed out of cycle.”

“Speaking of changes, I need to call the Sheriff in the morning. See if he knows anything new.”

“He called Ben’s phone before I left. He was checking in. There’s nothing new.”

I swore. Ben lips twitched because I used one of his favorites.

“First Max, now Ben. Who’s next? You?” I said to Miles.

He shrugged. “I don’t know, but it could be anyone in the town.”

“When they turn you in to the bobcat you are, I’m taking video of you chasing a laser pointer.”

Ben started laughing in the backseat and Miles stuck his tongue out at me as he pulled in to the driveway.